Ericsson Mobility Report: Global 5G growth continues - Ericsson committed to support Indonesia’s 5G deployments

Despite geopolitical challenges and macroeconomic slowdown in some markets, communications service providers worldwide are continuing to invest in 5G, the June 2023 edition of the Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) Mobility Report shows.

5G subscriptions also continues to grow strongly in Southeast Asia and Oceania and is expected to reach around 430 million by the end of 2028 and will contribute 34 percent of all mobile subscriptions in the region by that time. Mobile data traffic per smartphone is predicted to reach around 54 GB per month in 2028, a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 24 percent. In total, mobile data traffic is estimated to grow from around 13 EB per month in 2022 to 55 EB per month in 2028, growing at a CAGR of 27 percent.

The implementation of 5G is expected to drive an increase in smartphone demand, with the benefits for telecommunications operators contributing to the country's revenue growth. However, despite these expectations, the smartphone market in Indonesia remains sluggish. According to a report by International Data Corporation (IDC) titled "Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker," smartphone shipments in Indonesia in the first quarter of 2023 reached 7.9 million units, marking an 11.9 percent decline compared to the same quarter last year.

On the other hand, the penetration of 5G in Indonesia has been expanding. Data from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kemenkominfo) reveals that as of 2022, 5G coverage has reached 49 districts and cities. This signifies progress in the country’s efforts to embrace advanced connectivity. Looking ahead, the government has set its sights on achieving nationwide coverage of 5G in 2024 to 2025, ensuring that the fifth-generation internet network becomes accessible to all Indonesians.

5G subscriptions are rising in every region worldwide and forecast to reach 1.5 billion by the end of 2023. Global mobile network data traffic continues to grow with the monthly global average usage per smartphone expected to exceed 20 GB by the end of 2023.

The report also shows continued revenue growth in leading 5G markets. Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson, says: “The global adoption of 5G technology has surpassed one billion subscriptions, bringing positive revenue growth for communications service providers in leading 5G markets. We see a strong link between the increase in 5G subscriptions and service revenue. Over the past two years, the introduction of 5G services in the top twenty markets has resulted in a seven percent revenue boost. This trend shows the growing value of 5G, benefiting users and service providers alike.”

Jerry Soper, Head of Ericsson Indonesia, said: “The continued growth of 5G adoption indicates a highly promising market potential and significant opportunities for Communications Service Providers to capture value from the increasing demand. As a global ICT leader, Ericsson is committed to accelerating Indonesia's digital transformation and we are working closely with leading CSPs to ensure the availability of 5G infrastructure. With our leadership in world-class technology and live 5G deployments worldwide, we are confident in fully supporting the CSPs in Indonesia to scale up 5G infrastructure and accelerate the adoption of 5G in the country.”

Worldwide, around 240 communications service providers (CSPs) have launched commercial 5G services and about 35 have deployed or launched 5G standalone (SA). The most common 5G services launched by service providers for consumers are enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), gaming and some AR/VR-based services, such as training and education.

The report also reveals that 5G continues to drive innovation in mobile service packaging. Among CSPs, it is increasingly common to offer bundles with various popular entertainment services such as television, music streaming or cloud gaming platforms. About 58 percent of 5G service providers currently do this in various forms.

More than 100 CSPs, comprising about 40 percent of FWA service providers, currently offer FWA over 5G.

FWA is growing solidly in terms of:

• Number of mobile service providers offering FWA
• Proportion of those offering FWA over 5G
• Proportion of CSPs with speed-based tariff structures
• Amount of traffic served, as both number of connections and traffic volume per connection increase.

By 2028 5G is estimated to account for almost 80 percent of all FWA connections.
The June 2023 Ericsson Mobility Report includes four in-depth articles:
● Exploring how traffic patterns drive network evolution
● Exploring differentiated service with 5G network
● AR uptake enabled by mobile networks
● Mobile quality of experience: Network readiness for new services

Read the full June 2023 Ericsson Mobility Report.

Related links:
Ericsson Mobility Report
Ericsson Mobility Report Business Review edition
Ericsson 5G
Ericsson 4G and 5G Fixed Wireless Access
Ericsson: Breaking the energy curve
Ericsson: 5G the next wave – what does consumers want